Removable liners for pickup truck beds are known. Such liners have previously been used to protect the painted surfaces of the truck bed from scratches, dents and the like so that the trucks may be used to haul cargo without damage to the truck structure or appearance. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,881,768 (issued May 6, 1975 to E. L. Nix) shows a pickup truck bed liner which is molded from rigid plastic or fiberglass. The rigid liner conforms to the bed of the truck and includes portions complementary to the bottom sides wheel wells and tailgate of the truck bed. The tailgate portion in the prior liner is effectively hinged to the bottom portion by a web material.
Flexible storage compartment liners for automobile trunks which may be fitted against the side walls and floor of the truck such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,911,253, issued Nov. 3, 1959 to R. J. Dewey, are also known. However, such liners are hooked to the gutters of the trunk and are not suitable for prolonged use in exterior beds of pickup trucks.
Flexible storage compartment liners with inflatable side wall ribs for station wagons, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,653,710, issued Apr. 4, 1972 to D. J. Barnard, are also known. While such an inflatable liner can be deflated to facilitate handling and storage, it is generally not suitable for prolonged use in the exterior bed of a truck.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,963 issued June 29, 1982 to E. L. Nix et al disclosed an integral, molded plastic truck bed liner with side liner walls with hook-shaped flanges at the top thereof for fitting over the corresponding top ledge and free rim of the truck bed side walls.
In the field of aluminum alloys, there is no known method of enabling a rolling up of a flat sheet, for example, of aluminum alloy, a shipment, for example of the rolled stock of aluminum alloy, and then unrolling of the rolled stock for use such that the unrolled sheet remains relatively flat.
To obtain the strength, durability and beauty of aluminum alloy for use as a truck bed liner, and to provide for a unique and improved process of obtaining and utilizing aluminum alloy in a rolled form for economy of transportation, this invention is directed.